Sartori Wines at Café Milano

Verona is best known for Juliet’s trist with Romeo, a youthful “indiscretion” that culminated in her fatal pact with a poisoned lover. Perhaps Romeo could have saved them both if he had sipped one of their hometown’s fabulous wines instead of that vial of poison. Andrea Sartori leads one of Verona’s great wine estates, a [...]

Rare Italian Reds

The label “rare Italian reds” could refer to the magnificent Tuscan wines from the late-1970s, or the 1980s masterpieces of Piedmontese winemakers like Angelo Gaja and the Ceretto family. Or it could refer to non-indigenous grapes like Cabernet and Merlot that Italian vintners have incorporated into their ever-growing portfolio of fine wines. “Rare” not because [...]

Antica

Italians love their wine, and they’re not going to be restrained from drinking it at any opportunity, particularly when the time seems “just about right.” However, they also recognize that their wine is best when served with food. Piero Antinori of the famous Tuscan winemaking house of the same name knows this perhaps better than [...]

Il Palio Chicken Marsala with Montepulciano

Many years ago, while in Sicily, I found myself near the city of Marsala, renowned for the wine of the same name. Fermented and bottled in both dry and sweet versions, Marsala is also the key ingredient in veal and chicken dishes a la Marsala. As a big fan of this recipe, I naturally ordered [...]

Michael Shearin Recommends: 2004 Fattoria Zerbina, Pietramora, Emilia Romagna

This week’s pick comes from Michael Shearin, sommelier at Drago Centro in Los Angeles.  ”Fattoria Zerbina was purchased in 1966 by Vincent Geminiani in one of Italy’s culinary cradles, Emilia Romagna.  However it was not until 1987 when Vincent’s niece, Christina, took over that it finally gained some recognition.  She has been called one of [...]